Age of No Return

[Random_John]

As I drop off and pick up my 6 year old for school all of his classmates look happy and excited. They seem extremely excited all of the time and generally happy to see each other. This has been the case at every school he's attended from day care to summer camp.

At what age do we begin to be messed up? What leads to it

 

[fsu1jreed]

At what age do we begin to be messed up? What leads to it?

Puberty and girls..............in the poker game of life, women are the rake.

 

[Random_John]

It's just bizarre what puberty does to us. we go from not caring about much at all other than cartoons and playing to worrying about everything and mostly things that don't matter.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

I think you still have 6-7 years where they at least express some joy over seeing you.

 

[iowanole1]

Whenever the pressure of society and expectations take the place of excitement and joy. Whether it's sports, school or socially, the pressure put on kids to succeed get earlier and earlier

 

[Nolomite]

As I drop off and pick up my 6 year old for school all of his classmates look happy and excited. They seem extremely excited all of the time and generally happy to see each other. This has been the case at every school he's attended from day care to summer camp.

At what age do we begin to be messed up? What leads to it

It begins when you start riding him about his school performance and hammering him with "what are you going to do for a living when you grow up?" questions.

I never got much of the former, but the latter started at age 8 and became pervasive before I was 10. If you can manage to not do that crap he'll probably get to puberty before you become Public Enema #1, as others have said.

 

[BelemNole]

Middle school. Kids start to change in middle school. Suddenly kids they grew up with since diapers are now going off in new cliques and feelings get hurt. It’s usually sorted out by Jr year or so, but 7-10 can be traumatic.